The Indian actor-director-producer, known for his tough-guy swagger, played such characters as gangsters, race car champions, and even cowboys in a genre that came to be called “curry westerns.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
The Out-of-Town Tryout, Backwards
When Next to Normal, a new musical about bipolar disorder, ran Off-Broadway last year, “the tone of the show was off,” says director Michael Greif. “Big moments just weren’t landing.” So the producer decided “to take an unusual step: he moved a show that had already opened in New York to an out-of-town theater (Arena Stage, in Washington) for an overhaul.”
Cluster-Suit Over Collar And Bow Sculpture At Disney Hall Settled
Frank Gehry got his friends Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen to create a 65-foot-tall bow-tie and collar for his downtown L.A. concert hall. But the sculpture’s aluminum skin kept coming off and costs soared; ultimately the L.A. Music Center sued the artists, fabricators and consulting engineer, who all counter-sued each other. After two years and a five-volume case file, the entire affair has been ended.
Another Ill Omen For Orlando’s Arts Center?
“As if we needed another sign that the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center may not open on time, staffers have quietly removed the massive ‘2012’ flag that had been waving over the center’s downtown site.” But a spokeswoman says the reason is not what we’d think …
Baltimore Chamber Orchestra Plans Comeback For 2009-10
The ensemble, which suspended operations in January, “has improved its financial picture sufficiently to return to a regular concert season in October. Well, almost regular. The budget will be half of what it would be normally. Music director Markand Thakar has volunteered to work without pay. Instead of five orchestral programs, there will be three, plus one recital.”
Big Holes In The E-Book Catalogues
E-books may be the wave of the future, but some important books and authors are not riding that wave. Some writers or their estates object to e-books on principle (J.K. Rowling, Tennessee Williams); some think the royalty rate is too low; some doubt the market for older titles is sufficiently large; sometimes the contractual issues are just too complicated. But such big-name holdouts as Tom Clancy, Danielle Steel, and the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien are starting to come around.
Competitions: Seething Cauldrons Of Corruption?
Jessica Duchen: “Some competitions have helped to launch fine careers, with relative impartiality … But under that tip it seems that there lies an iceberg of nepotism, sexual coercion, financial greed and downright megalomania that has gone unchecked for decades.”
Google Book Search Settlement May Violate Antitrust Laws
“The [U.S.] Justice Department has begun an inquiry into the antitrust implications of Google’s settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service … The inquiry does not necessarily mean that the department will oppose the settlement, which is subject to a court review.”
How Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Away With It
How does the creator of Ali G, Borat and Bruno manage to get so many real people to appear on film in such embarrassing situations? And how does the actor himself (out of character) manage to remain so publicity-shy? There are quite deliberate methods to his madness.
Hulu Roars Ahead With More Than 41.6M Unique Viewers
“Hulu’s growth is impressive, considering that it launched just over a year ago amid a lot of doubt about whether it would succeed against YouTube and other video content sites. Now Disney is close to a deal to join and the site has become so popular that it is becoming a source of tension among those in the industry worried about Hulu siphoning away viewers from television.”